Trips We Remember: London 2004

A view from the Golden Gallery

Travel Diary

Day 3: London

Steve wrote:

We started the day by buying an all-day pass for the Tube and heading to St. Paul’s Cathedral, the center of the Anglican Church. Built after the Great Fire of London in 1666 and designed by Christopher Wren, it is as ornate a place as you can imagine, with tombs and memorials to Britain’s monarchs and military, as well as to scientists and artists. Parts of it are being cleaned in anticipation of the 300th anniversary of its completion, so it’s hard to get the get the full beauty of it, but it must be seen on any trip to London.

Rosemary wrote:

Much of the exterior was shrouded with plastic and scaffolding, and much of the interior was also obscured by scaffolding and construction junk. We climbed all the way to the top of the dome - 530 steps one way! We were not able to test the acoustics of the Whispering Gallery (the first level), because too much construction material was hanging from the ceiling, spoiling the effect. The winding staircases were hot and stuffy, growing steeper and tighter as the elevation increased. The Stone Gallery (second level) offered a nice breeze and a good view of London. The Golden Gallery (the top) was also breezy, and tightly packed with tourists. There we had a truly grand view of the city.

After lunch in the Crypt Cafe (yes, it is in the crypt), we went on to Westminster Abbey. It is nearly 1000 years old. The bodies of many historical figures, famous folks, and now-unknown people are here. We walk on their graves, and, as in the crypt at St. Paul’s, gradually wear away the inscriptions. Dust to dust. One must move with the tide in the sea of tourists, slowly circulating from point to point. The history and art that are here are well worth the effort. Edward the Confessor, the cathedral’s founder, is still here, in a tomb behind the altar. Queen Elizabeth I and her enemy/half-sister Queen Mary now share the same tomb. Charles Darwin, Rudyard Kipling, and Laurence Olivier are all buried here, next to the ancient monarchs, the beloved daughters of nobility, and the abbey’s plumber.

Exhausted, we still managed to walk through Covent Garden, Leicester Square, and Piccadilly Circus. These are the places people go walking, socializing, shopping and eating. Here is where aimless young people sit and stroll and panhandle. My feet hurt all the way up to my knees.

We had all-day tube passes, very handy for all the places we went. The tube is notoriously hot; there are prominent posters urging people to carry water. This makes no sense to me, since underground caves and cellars usually feel cool in the summer. In the later afternoon the overcrowded trains reek of damp, tired humanity. So many people run at top speed up and down the escalators and sprint through the corridors, as if two minutes will really make a difference in their lives.

Steve wrote:

We came back to the hotel, rested a bit, cleaned up and went to dinner. So far, we haven’t left Shepherd’s Market due to the diversity of the restaurants. Tonight, we had French food but could have chosen from Lebanese, Italian or (and I’m not making this up) Polish/Mexican. Not to mention a few pubs, sandwich shops and coffee houses. A very interesting location!

The London Eye, opened in 2000, is the world's largest Ferris wheel. A single rotation takes 30 minutes.

What was the Dixie Queen doing on the Thames?

It was a lovely day for a cruise along the Thames. This is the Tower Bridge.

A legend states that at least six ravens must remain at the Tower of London, or the monarchy will fall. As a precaution, the ravens' wings have been clipped.